Camino client Yorkville Common Pantry (YCP) provides millions of groceries and meals each year as the largest single site for alleviating hunger in New York. But the YCP mission is not only to provide emergency food for a family, it is also to provide the realistic and compassionate care that families need to move out of poverty. Check out this video of Halana Richardson talking about YCP– it’s worth taking a few minutes to hear her story to understand the complexity of hunger in America.

As the job market worsens, YCP estimates that it will have a sharp increase of 19% in the number of people who face hunger in the coming year. Camino PR’s Andrea Hagelgans and Pablo Toledo went to YCP to help them tell their story to NBC News for a special on hunger in America. Here’s a behind-the-scenes clip of the filming.

Behind The Scenes with The Yorkville Common Pantry from Camino PR on Vimeo.

YCP is New York City’s unique provider of assistance to the hungry, including providing more groceries and meals at a single site than any other program, and helping people become more economically stable by offering assistance with obtaining food stamps and housing, preparing for employment with basic services like showers and job counseling, among other practical and compassionate services. They even provide cooking classes to make help people eat healthy and stretch food stamp dollars. Camino PR was thrilled to partner with a community organization that takes a holistic and compassionate approach to hunger.

YCP won the prestigious Robin Hood Heroes award this month, which includes a $50,000 grant. That’s a huge honor, but more donations are needed to meet the skyrocketing need for basic food assistance. According to Stephen Grimaldi, executive director of YCP, “in this dismal economic climate many families throughout New York City face a bare table. Families of all means should be able to celebrate the holidays without choosing between paying rent or buying food.”

This holiday season consider supporting Yorkville Common Pantry or local food banks in your area.

We can learn a lot by studying the communications strategies of Mexican health advocates, who a few years ago defied all odds and legalized first trimester abortion in Mexico City. “We didn’t take the streets, we took the media”, observed Maria Luisa Sanchez Fuentes, one of the primary leaders of the Mexican legalization movement.

We recently sat down with Sanchez Fuentes when she was an honored guest speaker at the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health gala.  We asked her to talk about what communications strategies broke through the political and religious barriers that had thwarted efforts for decades to legalize abortion anywhere in Mexico. GIRE, the national Mexican organization headed by Sanchez Fuentes, has a long road ahead to further liberalize legal access to abortion in Mexico.  The political and legal backlash to the Mexico City gains in other Mexican localities have been severe.  But what is clear is that GIRE and their allies are walking down a different message road than U.S.-based abortion supporters, and creating public support for legal abortion within a very different values context.

You can watch the interview with Sanchez Fuentes here.

The first thing that might surprise you is the amount of support that exists for legal abortion among Mexicans.  In the United States, the conventional wisdom often is that Mexicans on both sides of the border are guided by Catholic doctrine on abortion.  While the influence of Catholic leadership must be seriously considered, this blanket assumption needs another look.  A recent poll by the Mexican government found that 62% of Mexicans say they “don’t believe the government should intervene in a woman’s right to choose.”  In Mexico City, a poll commissioned by the Population Council found that  66% of residents “thought the city’s decriminalization laws signaled a step forward for the country”.  In media interviews, Catholic leaders in Mexico bemoaned the practice of Catholics straying from church doctrine and warned healthcare providers that they will go to hell for providing abortion.  In what may be a sign of Catholics separating their decisions on abortion from their religious beliefs, one Catholic abortion provider in Mexico City said she may end up going to hell, but not for providing abortion care.

Recent polls in the United States show some movement in public opinion among Latinos, but more research is needed to fully understand the real views of this demographic. Pew’s latest poll on abortion attitudes found that “while whites have become significantly more pro-life, the movement among Hispanics has been primarily into the undecided camp”.

Sanchez Fuentes described what has – and what has not – been effective in abortion messaging among Mexicans.  Their best message focused on the decision, and who had the right to make it.  This dialogue was grounded in human rights language, connecting human values to the decision-making process.  Rather than focusing on an individualistic perspective, such as the interruption of a life plan, their messages focused on the complexity of the decision, such as when and how to start a family.  They took on opponents with a messaging campaign about “life” and “family”  taking ownership of the complexity of those concepts.

These message strategies are in synch with a recent worldwide survey of attitudes about human rights.  Mexico led the world in support for women’s right to have full equality compared to men as well as the desire to have government play a larger role in preventing discrimination against women.  In contrast, respondents in the U.S. strongly endorsed the concept of gender equality but did not favor greater government efforts to achieve equality.  A survey of attitudes is a great distance from lived realities, but it may demonstrate an opportunity to center reproductive health access in a human rights message model.

Sanchez Fuentes suggests that U.S. and Mexican movement leaders come together to learn from each other.  A cross-border summit on messaging and reproductive health could, among other things, help us deepen our understanding of promoting a values-based discussion in political climates that are deeply impacted by religious doctrine.  As Mexico lurches forward in liberalizing abortion access while the United States teeters on the edge of backsliding, such a cross-border convening could be a powerful strategic investment.

“Opponents argue that more women will be covered under overall health care reform, as if that should satisfy us. The fact remains: if millions of low-and moderate income women covered under a new federally subsidized health system can’t access abortion care from an insurance plan bought even partly with federal support, policy makers are essentially telling them that they do not matter—that the reality of their lives must be ignored.  The legacy of health care reform should not be to send women back into the shadows for a procedure allowed under U.S. law. We have worked too hard to reform our health care system for women to be worse off than they were before.”

Check out the full piece at http://www.cnn.com/2009/OPINION/12/11/henriquez.latina.abortion/index.html

CNN.com/Opinion features national voices including Congress members, journalists, and academics.

And last week’s New York Times published a Letter to the Editor from the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (NLIRH)!  In response to Cardinal Mahony’s earlier Op-Ed, Coverage without Borders, Silvia Henriquez wrote, “The lesson learned from the last three decades of misguided federal policy on abortion is that creating a two-tier system of access to health care is unfair, punitive and harmful.”

Here’s the full letter:

To the Editor:

Re “Coverage Without Borders,” by Roger Mahony (Op-Ed, Dec. 8):

Cardinal Mahony’s article in favor of health care access for immigrants is an important message to elected officials grappling with reform legislation. Sadly, I couldn’t help note the irony of advocating on behalf of immigrants, while in the same breath urging policy makers to deny reproductive health care for millions of women. Over half of all immigrants are women.

The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health knows very well the devastating impact of making abortion elusive for those who can’t pay with personal funds. Latinas are among the poorest in this country and tend to lack access to health insurance in higher numbers than other groups. In fact, one in four women living in poverty who wants to choose abortion can’t because politicians prevent federal tax dollars from covering the procedure.

The lesson learned from the last three decades of misguided federal policy on abortion is that creating a two-tier system of access to health care is unfair, punitive and harmful.

To quote Cardinal Mahony: “To allow people’s basic health needs to be trumped by divisive politics violates American standards of decency and compassion.” We couldn’t agree more.

Silvia Henriquez
National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health
New York, NY

Congratulations to NLIRH and its campaign for real health care reform for women and immigrants.

Last week, The Huffington Post launched HuffPost L.A., a new site designed to examine California and Los Angeles politics and culture. According to Arianna Huffington, “we intend to make HuffPost LA a must-click destination for engaged Angelenos looking to keep up with the latest on all things LA. And we’ll share the stories of the people whose lives are affected by the issues in the news: foreclosed homeowners, families battling wildfires in their neighborhoods or water main breaks in their front yards, parents searching for the best schools, and small business owners driving the city’s economic recovery.” Recent posts include those by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and other political, entertainment, and non profit figures in Los Angeles and California.

Congratulations CLRJ!

Click here to read the full post.

But at Camino PR, we’re celebrating a return to Labor Day’s roots as union members – including our clients from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) — take to the streets for quality, affordable health coverage for all. On Labor Day weekend, SEIU will participate in large-scale events across the country to call for health insurance reform, including this Saturday, Sept 5, when working people will gather in Indianapolis, and on Monday, when SEIU will join with President Obama in Cincinnati.

Camino PR is proud to have clients who provide services to better the world and spark the kind of social change that will make our society more just. And here’s one example of why:

SEIU didn’t sit on the sidelines when it came to the health of our nation’s children. They won victories for millions of children and parents across the country with the groundbreaking passage of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Thanks to their efforts, parents will no longer have to choose to either pay the rent or buy inhalers and other medications. Now we’re all talking about health insurance reform.

It’s been a summer of vitriolic debate, but did you know…

· One in five U.S. workers are currently uninsured?

· Every day, 14,000 more people lose their insurance coverage during this economic crisis— left on their own in the private market?

· The average family of four is paying $29,000 a year for healthcare in taxes, lower wages and out-of-pocket expenses?

· In 2004, half of all people filing for bankruptcy cited medical costs as a reason. And in 2008, half of all home foreclosures were due in part to the high cost of coverage and care?

· The U.S. economy lost as much as $207 billion in 2007 as a result of the poor health and shorter life spans of the uninsured?

· Young people (18-29) and Hispanics have the highest uninsured rates?

Not just Talking the Talk- Marching by Example

The 1199SEIU Benefit and Pension Funds are a model for providing affordable and quality health care. The Benefit Funds provide a full package of benefits — including hospital, medical, prescription, dental, vision and quality of life benefits — to 400,000 members, retirees and their families with little or no out-of-pocket expense to members. The Benefit Funds have consistently provided coverage for far less than the average cost of coverage under other plans – proving that health care can be affordable and comprehensive.

Join SEIU this Labor Day weekend and make your voice heard.

Senator Kennedy voted against the nomination of John Roberts as Supreme Court Chief Justice because he was not convinced that Roberts fundamentally understood the role of civil rights and equal rights in this country. Further, he didn’t believe that Roberts would be a leader in this country’s march toward equality. Kennedy’s unfavorable opinion about Roberts was heavily influenced by Robert’s comments about the role of judicial leadership during the Brown v Board of Education decision, when most white Americans were in favor of segregation.

Like Kennedy, last month Senator Graham raised the issue of Brown v Board of Education during a Supreme Court nomination hearing. This time it was Judge Sonia Sotomayor under scrutiny. Senator Graham asked Sotomayor about judicial leadership and the Brown v Board of Education decision. Graham explained to Sotomayor that had he been a Senator at the time of the Brown decision, he probably wouldn’t have been “brave” enough to stand up to segregation like the Justices did. In contrast to Kennedy, Senator Graham expresses a very different view of leadership and its responsibility to civil rights.

Kennedy became a Senator on the heels of the Brown decision and he was a forceful leader in the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. After 11 failed attempts, the civil rights legislation finally passed.

Kennedy was right to judge the qualification for leadership through the prism of civil rights and equal rights. He is missed.

On Women’s Equality Day, Camino PR pays tribute to our clients on the forefront of dismantling sexism and bias. At our firm we only promote clients who are sparking the kind of social change that will make our society more just. It’s not the most profitable niche, but it is the best way for us to have rigorous expertise in social change communications.

It hasn’t been an easy year for women’s advocates.  In domestic news reporting related to sexual health, the terms “promiscuous” and “shame” got about the same number of media mentions as the terms “dating” and “pleasure.” New author Jordan Christy has just begun her media push for a return to “feminine values,” with an etiquette book for young women with chapters titled “Keep Your Chin Up and Your Skirt Down.”

The fashion industry toasted Barbie’s 50th birthday by making her the first toy to enjoy membership in the Fashion Designers Council of America. Among the Barbie - themed products was a new lip gloss called “Huge Lips Skinny Hips,” which causes lip swelling and the absorption of an appetite suppressor into the blood stream. 

That’s why, in this climate where the most vocal are often the least reasonable, we applaud our clients for their dedication to creating true equality for women and girls in the United States and around the world. Here’s a snapshot of some of our clients and the fantastic work they are doing on behalf of women:

·      One in four low-income women in the United States who faces an unintended pregnancy would choose abortion but cannot because of lack of funding.  Thanks NLIRH for lobbying to end federal restrictions on abortion funding for low-income women. And, a huge thanks for winning a federal court battle this year that expands access to emergency contraception for young women!

·      Almost 20% of women in this country are uninsured and many more face absurdly high premiums because insurers treat pregnancy as a disease and Caesarean sections as a pre-existing condition. Thanks Planned Parenthood and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) for pushing our leaders to enact real health care reform!

·      Latinas make up less than 2% of lawyers, and an even smaller fraction of judges in this country. Thanks Planned Parenthood and NLIRH for supporting Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination!

·      One in four teenage girls has a sexually transmitted disease. When professors at Georgia State University came under fire by state elected officials for teaching about sexuality, the National Sexuality Resource Center sprang into action and created a national outpouring of support. Thanks NSRC for the awesome leadership!

·      Nine out of 10 LGBT students report being harassed at school.  Research also shows that many of the students that witness acts of harassment experience feelings of helplessness and powerlessness, and develop poor coping and problem-solving skills.  Thanks Ford Foundation for being part of the solution by supporting research that explores sexuality education as it relates to issues of class, race, gender, and sexual orientation!

Camino is proud to be working with such committed organizations that reflect our values and strive daily to achieve equal footing for women.

For additional information contact Andrea Hagelgans at ahagelgans@caminopr.com

Pablo translates the unfiltered voices of adolescents into fictional narratives.  He first imbeds himself in a community, provides tools for authentic stories to emerge, and turns these stories into a feature film or other digital media product.

His first feature film, Runnin at Midnite, explored the midnight basketball culture of youth in the barrios on the U.S. side of border.  In the development phase of this first effort he established a youth educational program in Tucson’s south side.  Only kids who had been kicked out of many high schools were eligible to study filmmaking with Pablo, with just one catch: they had to show up everyday to work toward their GED.

The teens who shaped Runnin at Midnite were not the  model “at-risk” youth that are the delight of intervention programs.  Pablo’s kids were beyond at-risk, they were post-risk.  In fact, the Department of Labor had classified this community as one of the nation’s neediest in regard to at-risk youth. Many participants were teen parents, most had a history of drug or alcohol use, most had a criminal record, most lived amidst serious violence, all lived in poverty.  These teens were well beyond the No Child Left Behind hype.  But a strange thing happened when Pablo handed them a camera and taught them to tell their authentic stories: they re-engaged high school studies.  Pablo’s high school graduation rate among these youth was so high that it earned him kudos from the White House.

Many of these barrio kids can be seen in the acclaimed Runnin at Midnite.  In this next film effort, Project Libertad, Pablo heads across the border to Mexico.  For the last few years Pablo has been traveling to Mexico to visit with people in the underbelly of border crossing politics: people who wade through sewer tunnels to cross underneath the border, kids living on their own while their families do seasonal work, families living in shacks and whole communities terrorized by cross-border drug wars.

Pablo starts this next film project by teaching border kids in Mexico about the art of storytelling.  His workshops are in formation now; more kids in need than he can ever serve are anxiously hoping to participate.  If you’ve got any inclination or ability to sponsor some of these kids, please send a donation.  Or if you can’t donate, please become a fan of Project Libertad on Facebook.  This story will unfold over the next few years and I guarantee you will be fascinated to watch it from the inside.